


A New Beginning

by drwhogirl



Series: Emma Caffrey [2]
Category: White Collar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:09:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26344651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drwhogirl/pseuds/drwhogirl
Summary: How Neal's daughter would impact the Pilot
Series: Emma Caffrey [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1780558
Comments: 3
Kudos: 25





	A New Beginning

As Neal was escorted from the apartment, Peter looked down at the child in his arms. Her dark curls fell around her face as she slept peacefully. “Hey, wait,” he called out, before the idea had fully formed in his head. The agents either side of Neal paused, and Neal turned to look at him as Peter approached. “She’s already been left by one parent,” Peter told Neal pointedly.

Neal wanted desperately to reach out and touch her but couldn’t, as his hands were still cuffed behind his back. He could have slipped them of course, but he was already in too much trouble and if he caused anymore, they really would throw away the key this time.

Peter gently shook the girl awake. She blinked sleepily but her eyes found Neal almost immediately. “Daddy?”

“Hey, Emma.”

“Wha’s going on?” The little girl rubbed her eyes, still not fully aware of what was happening.

“I’m going…” Neal paused to find the right words. “I’m going away for a while. This is Peter. He’s going to find somewhere for you to live until I can come get you.”

“No!” Emma screamed, starting to cry and holding her arms out to Neal. “Don’t go, Daddy. Don’t go.”

“I’m sorry, Emma, I have to.” He leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. She tried to grab at him but she wasn’t fast enough. “Be a good girl, okay?”

“Ok,” Emma whispered through her tears. “If I’m good, will you come back?”

“Always,” Neal told her. If he were ever asked, Neal wouldn’t have admitted to the tears in his eyes as he said that word. He wouldn’t have admitted to feeling his heart break as he saw his little girl crying into Peter Burke’s jacket. He certainly wouldn’t have admitted to crying himself when he was finally alone in solitary confinement.

Peter watched as the two agents led Neal out the door. He was unsure what to do about the crying girl once they were finally alone, Peter patted her hair awkwardly. He couldn’t help the sigh of relief when Diana approached them. He was impressed to see her step barely faltered on seeing the girl. “Caffrey’s in the car,” she told him, eyes drawn to the sobbing child. “Who’s this?”

“This is Emma,” Peter told her. “She’s apparently Neal’s daughter.”

“Hey, Emma.” Diana greeted her with a smile.

The girl waved at her, clutching Peter’s jacket with her other hand. “We have a lead on the Dutchman. I need you to investigate it while I take Emma home.”

“What lead have you got?”

Peter handed her the fiber from his jacket. “Neal says it’s a security fiber from the Canadian hundred dollar bill.”

“I’ll contact the Canadians,” Diana told him. “You look after her and I’ll call you when we have something.”

Peter took Emma out to his car and strapped her into the back seat. He mentally kicked himself for not having a car seat. Not that he had ever needed one before now, but that wasn’t the point. She had thankfully cried herself to sleep while he and Diana had been talking. He shut the door gently, making sure not to wake her before pulling his phone out and making a call.

“Hey, hon.”

“Hey, hon, you almost done?” Elizabeth asked. He could hear something bubbling in the background; she must have started cooking.

“Yeah, I’m on my way home.”

“What’s wrong?” It was times like this, Peter loved his wife. Straight to the point, as usual.

“Caffrey escaped.”

“And you’re gonna miss dinner,” Elizabeth finished.

“No, we caught him…”

“But?”

“We found him with a child. El, he’s got a daughter.”

Elizabeth paused for a moment, considering this new information. “I thought you knew everything about him?”

“So did I but… She’s so young, El. She must have been born while he was in prison.”

“Where’s her mother?”

“Long gone. When Neal found her, she had been alone for two days. He asked me to look after her, but I don’t know what to do.”

“Ok, here’s what you’re going to do. You’re going to come home and bring her with you. She can stay in the spare room tonight and we’ll figure the rest out tomorrow. When we get off the phone, I’ll call Dennis; she should probably be seen by a doctor if she’s been alone that long.”

“Thanks, El.”

“Now get your butt back here, mister.” Elizabeth’s tone was playful, earning a laugh from her husband before she hung up the phone.

* * *

The next day, Peter decided to stop by the prison on his way home from work. Technically speaking, nobody was allowed to visit Neal while he was in solitary confinement, but being FBI had its perks. He had agreed to see Neal in a week’s time, but there were some things that were still bugging him. Details he still needed before his curiosity would be sated. He also figured that if Neal loved the girl enough to break out of prison for her, he would need to know that she was safe. To put his mind at rest if nothing else.

When Peter entered the room, the first thing he noticed was how tired Neal looked. He didn’t seem to have slept at all the night before. He barely even glanced in Peter’s direction. “How’s Emma?” Neal asked, as Peter sat on the floor opposite him.

“She’s upset,” Peter told him honestly. “Elizabeth, my wife, looked after her today and now…”

“You don’t know what you’re going to do,” Neal finished for him.

“I really don’t. She’s a sweet girl, but we can’t keep her. Not for four years.”

“I actually had an idea about that.” Taking a breath, Neal made his pitch. He would work with the FBI on a tracking anklet and it would allow him to do his time while also being able to look after his daughter. They could start with the Dutchman case as a trial run.

“About that fiber, how’d you know?”

That made Neal laugh “C’mon, Peter. It’s what I do. How upset were the Canadians?”

Peter laughed, too. “Oh, very. Well, as upset as Canadians can get.”

“Please, Peter. I can help you.”

“Sorry, Neal.” Peter got up and affectionately patted Neal on the shoulder as he walked out. “I can’t.” He wasn’t even sure if he wanted to. Neal had done something wrong, and however good his intentions had been, these were the repercussions. That being said, if he hadn’t escaped to find her, then the girl could have died. He wasn’t really sure what he wanted to do. Better to say no now than to get Neal’s hopes up then to have to dash them later.

* * *

On the drive home, Peter couldn’t stop thinking about Neal’s suggestion. He was still considering whether he had been too quick to reject the idea when he walked through the front door.

He could hear giggling from the kitchen and went to investigate. Elizabeth was chopping carrots and Emma was sitting on the counter next to her licking a spoon. Neither of them had noticed Peter’s entry, but as he watched the pair of them, his decision was made for him. This little girl needed her dad. He would have to try and make this happen.

* * *

Two months later, Peter was waiting outside the prison. Emma stood next to him, her hand in his. As the door slid open, Emma pulled away and ran into Neal’s open arms.

“Let me see it,” Peter called over. Neal hitched up his pant leg to show the tracker. He let his pant leg drop before picking up Emma and approaching Peter. Peter watched the pair for a moment before continuing. “You understand how this works?”

“I’m being released into the custody of the FBI, under your supervision, and this thing chafes my leg. Anything I’m missing?” Emma wrapped her arms around Neal’s neck and watched Peter curiously.

“Yeah, if you run, and I catch you, which you know I will because I’m 2 and 0, you’re not back here for four years, you’re back here for good.”

Neal nodded. “I’m not going to run, Peter. Not when I have this one to worry about.” Neal prodded Emma in the stomach gently, making the girl giggle.

“This is a temporary situation. Help me catch the Dutchman, we can make it permanent.”

“Where we headed?”

“Your new home.”

* * *

Neal wasn’t sure what he had expected, but this wasn’t it. The reception area was small and unmanned, everything seemed gray and faded. Emma held onto Neal’s hand tight Neal wasn’t sure what he had expected, but this wasn’t it. The reception area was small and unmanned, everything seemed gray and faded. Emma held onto Neal’s hand tight with one hand, holding a little pink suitcase in the other. The suitcase wasn’t much, but it contained everything the Burkes had bought for her while she had been living with them. Well, everything she hadn’t wanted to leave with them, anyway.

Peter rang the bell on the reception desk and a bored looking girl came through from the back. She didn’t seem to be much older than a teenager and obviously didn’t want to be there.

“This is Neal and Emma Caffrey, my office called earlier,” Peter explained, gesturing to where the father and daughter stood.

The girl nodded and pulled a key off the hook behind her, handing it to Neal.

“Thank you,” Neal said with a smile before turning to Peter. He kept his voice low so Emma didn’t hear. “Do we have to stay here?”

“Cowboy up. All right, it costs seven hundred a month to house you on the inside, so that’s what it costs here. For the money, this is as good as it gets. You find something better- take it.” Peter paused for a moment before continuing. “In fact, this is better than you would have gotten otherwise. If there hadn’t been concerns about Emma’s safety, it would have been a motel of some kind.”

“What about clothes? I’m wearing my entire wardrobe. And I’m sure Emma needs some too.”

“You like thrift stores. There’s one at the end of the block.” Neal opened his mouth to argue but Peter interrupted him. “No, don’t start, no, no protests. This is what you wanted, isn’t it? Look at it, it’s not-” Peter was interrupted by a crash behind them. Emma had tried to climb onto a chair to see over the counter while they were distracted, knocking over a flowerpot in the process. Peter’s tone softened as they watched Emma try and right the pot. “Look at her, you don’t get that in prison, do you?” Neal moved to pick her up, keeping her in his arms and hopefully out of trouble.

“Listen, your tracking anklet is set up so you can go anywhere within two miles of this place. That includes some parks and a good school. They also have onsite day care for when we’re at work.” Peter put a file down on the counter, for Neal to collect when his hands were free. “Here’s your homework. Remember, two miles. I’ll see you at 7 AM on Monday. That gives the two of you a couple of days to settle in.”

“Bye, Uncle Peter.” Emma waved. Peter smiled and waved back.

“Uncle Peter?” Neal asked with a raised eyebrow.

Peter gave him a grin that Neal himself would have been proud of. “Problem?”

Neal had many objections but decided he wouldn’t voice them in front of Emma. “We’ll see you on Monday.” Was all Neal said in response.

* * *

As Neal took Emma up to their flat, number 11, if the key was anything to go by, he suddenly realized something. This was his first time looking after Emma. Really, properly looking after her. As he unlocked the door and followed her in, he watched the young girl start exploring their new home with growing dread.

He didn’t know how to be a father. He didn’t even remember his own father and he, himself, was hardly a role model. Not that James Bennett was any better. This was the first time anyone had even trusted him enough to be Emma’s dad. When Kate had brought her to visit the prison, he could only spend time with her under the watchful eye of five prison guards and Kate herself. When he had escaped from prison, he had only been with her for an hour before the FBI came and took her away again. Now he was here, he finally had his daughter, but now he realized the gravity of their situation. He needed to look after her and care for her at a time when he wasn’t even sure if he could do that for himself.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by a voice. “I’m hungry.” Emma was back from her exploration, suitcase left in the middle of the floor.

“How about we go and get some food?” Neal suggested. Then, feeling like it was something a dad would say, he added, “But you should put your suitcase in your bedroom first.”

“There’s only one.”

Neal sighed; of course there was only one bedroom. “Well, then we know which one is yours, don’t we?” He told her in a light hearted tone. He would obviously have to get used to sleeping on the couch.

* * *

After they had eaten, and Emma had made a bigger mess than Neal thought such a small person should be capable of, Neal took her to the thrift store Peter had told them about earlier. Neal was looking through a rack of pants when he heard Emma’s voice behind him.

“You’re really pretty,” he heard her say. He turned to see who she was talking to. A very rich looking older woman had walked into the shop and stood by the counter.

“Why, thank you,” June laughed. “Are your parents here?”

Emma nodded. “My daddy’s over there.” Emma pointed to where Neal stood. Taking that as his cue, he approached them and introduced himself.

“It’s lovely to meet you, Neal,” June smiled.

“Why are you here?” Emma asked curiously. “You look rich.”

June laughed while Neal tried to hide his embarrassment at the question. “I’ve come to donate these,” she explained, gesturing to the suits in her chauffer’s hand.

“Those are fantastic,” Neal told her, moving to get a better look.

“Ooh! They belong to my late husband, Byron. He really had great taste in clothes.”

“Oh. May I?” At June’s nod, the chauffer passed him the suit jacket.

“This is a Devore.”

“Yes, he won it from Sy himself.”

“Won it?”

“He beat him at a backdoor draw.”

“He did a drawing of a back door?” Emma asked, confused.

Neal and June both laughed. “No,” June explained gently, “it’s a type of poker.”

“What’s a poker?”

“Did your mother teach you nothing?” Neal teased. “It’s a card game.”

“Like Uno?”

“Yeah.” Neal decided that was as close as he was going to get for now, but made a mental note to check the toy section for a cheap deck of cards. He turned his attention back to June for the moment. “Your husband played poker with Sy Devore?”

“He certainly did. And so did I.”

“No.” Neal couldn’t keep the awe from his voice.

“Yes. The guys would even let me sit in once in a while on a hand. And I was good.”

Neal laughed and picked up one of the hats, twirling it onto his head.

“I’m glad to see you appreciate these. I was hoping someone would. I’ve got a whole closet full of them.”

“A whole closet?” Neal asked, picking up his daughter.

“Mm-hmm. Well, actually, it’s a guest room, but, um, but I haven’t used it for anything but storage for years. I might even have some dresses for a certain young woman.” June winked at Emma who giggled. Emma reached up and took the hat from Neal’s head, placing it on her own.

Neal laughed and sat her on the counter; the hat was too big on her and fell down over her eyes, making her laugh.

Neal took a jacket the chauffer offered him and shrugged it on, admiring the near perfect fit.

“Oh, Byron used to wear that one whenever we went dancing. The neighborhood was... let’s say it was much nicer then.”

“You live nearby?” Neal asked, taking the hat back from Emma and placing it on his head to get a better idea of the look in the full-length mirror.

“Not far,” June told him. “Would you both like to come over? You can see the rest of the suits and there are also a few dresses and toys that my granddaughters have grown out of.”

“What do you think, Ems? Should we go?”

“Yeah!”

* * *

“What’s that?” Emma asked. She was pointing at a dollhouse in the corner of the room. June got it down from the shelf so Emma could see it. It was a perfect replica of June’s house.

“This is a dollhouse,” June told her. “It was made for my eldest daughter when she was your age.”

“It’s so pretty.”

“Every little girl in the family has played with it.” Emma reached out to touch it. There were dolls inside which had been designed specifically for the house. Each one was perfectly modeled on a member of the family. There was even a little toy pug that looked just like Bugsy.

Neal came out of the walk-in closet in an immaculate suit, hat perched at an angle on his head. “What do you think, Emma?” he asked with a grin.

“Wow!”

June smiled. “She’s right. Wow.”

“This is a wonderful place you have here,” Neal told her. He walked over to the full-length mirror propped up in the corner.

“It’s pretty. Not like our house.”

“Oh really?” June asked. “What’s your house like?”

“It’s small and daddy doesn’t have a bed.”

“Oh, that’s a shame. Why do you live there?” June asked curiously, glancing at Neal.

Neal opened his mouth to answer but Emma beat him too it. “Daddy just got out of prison.” That was something that Neal had admittedly hoped wouldn’t come up. He hadn’t really been looking to advertise his past, but Emma had a mind of her own and very little in the way of a verbal filter.

“Oh really? What for?” June asked.

“A little of this, a little of that.” Neal spun to look at them, an easy grin on his face.

“With a smile like that, I bet you were a con artist.” June’s voice had a slightly teasing tone to it.

“Would that be an issue if I was?”

“Goodness no, my Byron was in the same line of work.” She reached down and ruffled Emma’s hair. “You know, I could get this place cleared out by the end of the weekend.”

“Why?” Emma asked, confused.

“Well, we wouldn’t want you to have to stay in your apartment if your daddy doesn’t even have a bed. I thought you might like to live here.”

* * *

June called Neal the following day to inform him that the loft was ready for them to move in.

When they walked in, it looked completely different to the last time they had been there. All of the clutter had been cleared, leaving a gorgeously furnished studio apartment.

“It’s even prettier than last time!” Emma squealed excitedly.

“Do you want me to show you your room?” June asked from the doorway.

“Yes, please!”

June led them through a door on the other side of the kitchen into a bedroom.

The door had been propped open by a dog shaped doorstop. The room had been painted in shades of pink and purple. There was a pile of cuddly toys piled on the small double bed, and tucked away in the corner was the doll house.

“Thank you! Thank you!” Emma bounced up and down in excitement, giving June a hug before rushing off to explore the room.

“Thank you for this, June.”

“Anytime Neal.”

* * *

Peter walked into the building where he left the Caffreys two days beforehand. He noticed the same girl from the other day was still working the reception.

“Hey. I’m here for Caffrey, room eleven.”

“He left,” She told him, not looking up texting on her phone. “Left you a note.” She handed Peter a notepad. On the first page, in Neal’s neat script were the words:

_Dear Peter,_

_We’ve moved 1.6 miles,_

_87 Riverside Drive_

_XOXO_

_Neal_

Peter sighed, tearing the sheet off the notebook and stuffing it into his pocket.

It was a short drive to the address but that short distance made all the difference. The house was huge, it was basically a mansion. Peter got out of the car, his jaw practically on the floor. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Peter knocked on the door and was let in by the maid. “I think I have the wrong address,” Peter told her.

“You must be Peter.” June walked in from the lounge, a small pug sleeping in her arms.

“I’m looking for Neal Caffrey.”

“He’s upstairs.”

Peter walked out onto the balcony and found Neal reading a paper at the breakfast table. Emma was happily tucking into her food from her seat opposite him.

“Hi, Uncle Peter.”

“Hey, Emma.”

“You’re early,” Neal said by way of a greeting.

“We’re chasing a lead at the airport. We got a hit on Snow White.”

Neal closed the newspaper and placed it on the table, picking up the file Peter had left for him. “Snow White... the phrase you decoded from a suspected Dutchman communiqué in Barcelona.”

“You moved.” Peter observed, waiting for an explanation.

“Yeah, it’s nicer than the other place, don’t you think?”

“I do!” Emma interjected excitedly.

“I don’t remember the other place having a view.”

“We went to the thrift store, like you suggested, and June-”

“Lady with the dog. We met.”

“Was donating her late husband’s clothes. We hit it off, she had an extra guest room...”

Peter made an unimpressed noise, crossing his arms as he watched Neal.

“You said, if I find a nice place for the same price, I should take it. June’s great and she and Emma get along well.”

“I did say that. All this for seven hundred? Even what seems to be a live-in babysitting service?”

“Hey!” Emma complained. “I’m not a baby.”

That made Neal laugh, but he answered Peter’s question. “Yep. But I help out around the place.”

“Oh, sure, feed the dog-”

“Yeah, wash the Jag, watch her granddaughter from time to time.”

“She’s got you babysitting?” Peter found the idea of Neal having two kids to look after at once oddly amusing. At that moment a girl in her early twenties walked onto the balcony. “How’s it going?” Peter asked her, unsure what else to say in the moment.

“Morning, Neal.” Cindy greeted him with a smile. She kneeled down next to Emma. “Hey, Emma, did you still want to go to the park?”

“Yeah!”

“Come on then, let’s go get you dressed.” Cindy took the girl’s hand and led her back inside.

“That was the granddaughter?” Peter asked sceptically once they had left.

“That was Cindy. She’s an art student.”

“Unbelievable. Go get dressed.” Smart quotes

Peter sat down in Neal’s vacated seat and was soon joined by June, who took the seat Emma had been sitting in. Peter poured himself a cup of coffee and took a sip. “It’s perfect. Even the freaking coffee’s perfect.” He earned himself a laugh from June. “That’s not jewelry on his ankle, you know. He’s a felon.”

June leaned forward conspiratorially, a knowing smile on her face. “So was Byron.”

* * *

Neal walked down the stairs to meet Peter. He flipped his hat before placing it on his head, a smile on his face.

“You look like a cartoon.”

“This is classic Rat Pack. This is a Devore.”

“Oh, sorry. Dino.” Neal flipped the hat again, purely to cause more irritation in his handler. “Would you stop with the hat? C’mon, let’s go.”

“You’re upset.” Neal observed before muttering under his breath, “sour grapes.”

“What was that?”

“Look, you tell me which rule I broke and I will thumb it back to prison myself.”

“For starters...” Peter trailed off. He couldn’t think of one and that annoyed him even more. “I work hard, I do my job well, and I don’t have a ten million dollar view of Manhattan that I share with a 22 year-old art student while we sip espresso!”

“Why not?” Neal asked.

“Why not?” Peter repeated, wondering if he had really just been asked that question. 

“Yeah.”

“Because I’m not supposed to. The amount of work I do equals certain things in the real world not- cappuccino in the clouds!”

“Look, I will find out where June buys her coffee if it’s that important.” Neal told him.

“It’s not about the coffee.” Peter snapped, getting increasingly irritated.

“I think it is.”

“No, it’s not.” Neal just gave him a pointed look, earning a small laugh from Peter. “This is what gets you into trouble. This is the start of those something-for-nothing schemes that lead to the frauds that got you locked up.”

“I think it’s... some sort of Italian roast.”

“Get in the car!” Peter snapped.

“Okay.”

“Neal, wait.” Neal paused on his way out the door. “Look, I’m just concerned. Emma is a good kid. I don’t want her to end up on a bad path.”

“She won’t. I’ll make sure of it.” Neal walked out, not giving Peter a chance to reply.

Peter considered that for a moment before hurrying down the steps to catch up. “ _You’re_ going to keep her on the right path?” he asked, falling into step alongside the younger man. “Who’s going to keep _you_ there?”

Neal turned his head to flash an easy grin at his new handler. “I thought that was your job?”

“And don’t you forget it,” Peter told him with mock severity. He could tell already this guy was going to keep him on his toes, and he wasn’t foolish enough to believe that one pint-sized charmer was enough to completely make this leopard change his spots. But a chance to keep Neal Caffrey on the straight and narrow? This was going to be fun.


End file.
